Sweatpants & TV | Seriously Shonda?! 3/12/15

Who cheats death in Grey’s Anatomy? Where do you stand on Calzona? Why was this most recent Scandal the most powerful television we’ve seen in a while? Get your Olivia Pope wine glass and let’s discuss. Beware of spoilers as always!

Grey’s Anatomy, Season 11, Episode 14 – “The Distance”

What we loved:

Shandle: I loved that Arizona rocked her first fetal surgery and stood up to Bailey. I also loved that Richard came and talked Amelia through her tough time. He is such a good teacher and leader, and I’ve missed seeing him in that role.MJ: Richard was, like, my most favorite – I really, really missed him and that tone of his.Shandle: I loved that Amelia was mostly successful. Yes, Herman is blind, but she is alive. What she said to Stephanie was perfect: they defeated death. They were superheroes. That superhero stance they did was the best.MJ: That entire last scene was so amazing.Shandle: Amelia was a total bad ass, pulling off that glove and risking radiation exposure. Oh, and Herman telling Arizona that because she was a pain in her ass, she is now alive and now something can happen.MJ: Herman’s entire attitude when she woke up was inspiring. She had the attitude that I think most people would want to have. I don’t know that I could be that grateful. I would like to think yes, but I’m not sure.

What could’ve been better:

MJ: Callie and Arizona – I kind of wished they had a bigger moment than the hand holding. It was fine, but not a typical Grey’s moment.Shandle: I’m so on the fence about Calzona. I can take them or leave them. I was sad Stephanie passed out. I felt bad for her. She came back and closed, so it worked out, but I was still bummed for her.MJ: You know, I kind of loved that. It was good for her to see her limit. I also loved Richard talking to her about it.

What we’re looking forward to:

Shandle: The previews for next week look intense.MJ: Whomp whomp. I’m going to have to look it up. *shakes fist* DAMN IT, HULU!

Oh shit, Shonda! moment:

Shandle: Herman waking up blind was it for me.MJ: For me, Herman was such a happy surprise. My biggest Oh Shit? Richard saying no to calling Derek.Shandle: Oh, that is a good one!

Best Lines:

“I picked the right horse.” – Herman to Arizona

“Though it is a kind of dance. There’s grace, a rhythm, a kind of elegance.” – Richard to Callie

“You either need to get on board and shut up, or you need to get the hell out.” – Arizona to Bailey

“Dr. Herman was with me on my worst day. I just wanted to be with her for hers.” – April

“I know that tumor. He’s got it hanging on the bedroom wall. The drawing, not the actual tumor.” – Amelia to Richard

“She’s in my head, but I am not ready for my head to be the only place that she exists.” – Arizona

“By sending death running like a crying bitch. By telling death to go screw himself.” – Amelia to Stephanie

Scandal, Season 4, Episode 14 – “The Lawn Chair”

What we loved:

Shandle: This episode was so powerful.I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.MJ: This episode, this episode just NEEDED to happen. This country is raw – I loved that given the current state of affairs in this country, Shonda decided to put it in your face.Shandle: It definitely needed to happen. Clarence telling Olivia he put a university bumper sticker on his car so that if his son was pulled over they wouldn’t think he was a thug. Telling her that it only ends with him dead or jail, because that is reality.MJ: Watching Marcus challenge Olivia was so brilliant.Shandle: I love that Marcus challenged Olivia’s place of privilege! I mean the only reason the police chief didn’t send the riot cops into the crowd was because Olivia went behind the line and started chanting with them.MJ: That – behind the line – that sent chills up my spine.Shandle: Me, too. So did Olivia saying it’s too much, it is too much. The systematic racism in this country is too much. The fact that so many people do live in complete fear is too much. Parts were way too real. The cop’s speech at the end. All I kept thinking was, “Real people feel this way, act this way. Real cops use their power in this way.” I’m glad at least in Shondaland, he was held accountable for his actions.MJ: Yeah, Shonda showed how it does sadly go down sometimes. . . the cover up, the planting . . . that is so much of our reality. The justice that was served – it was so powerful. This entire episode was. The musical nods throughout the episode . . . the dialogue . . . it was all just powerful.Shandle: Serious props to Michael Welch as Officer Newton, a.k.a. Annoying Puppyboy from Twilight. He’s got some real acting chops.MJ: As soon as I saw him, I thought, he’s the perfect person for this role.Shandle: Oh, and Fitz keeping his promise to Mellie! Susan was the perfect little bit of comic relief in a very dark, deep episode.MJ: I have to admit I barely paid attention to the other parts of the episodes.Shandle: Ditto, but because I watched twice, I was able to give some attention their story line.

Shandle: I wish Brandon hadn’t been a good kid. Because why does Brandon only matter if he was a good kid? Why can’t he matter just because he was an innocent person? Why did the officer have to make his nasty speech for us to hate him? Why couldn’t we find empathy with Brandon for being a person? Why can’t we hold Officer Newton under scrutiny for shooting a person without making him a villain? Don’t misunderstand me, I thought Shonda was brave for pushing the envelope with this episode and using her platform to shine light on a very real problem in our society, but I feel like she knew in order to create empathy for the audience he had to be good, which makes me sad for the state of our society.MJ: Well, I think you answered your own question with your last sentence – she didn’t do it that way because this is where we are at with society – so many times these young kids getting gunned down ARE innocent, they are good. This was justice – this was Shonda’s justice – to say to the audience, we see it, we know how it goes down – this is what we all hope for: justice.Shandle: That is a great point, she gave us justice in her world when we are lacking it on our own.

Shandle: I AM STILL WAITING FOR AN UPDATE ON HUCK’S FAMILY DAMMIT.MJ: Yeah, I mean really how long does it take to read the damn files already?

Oh shit, Shonda! moment:

Shandle: I feel like everything that happened after they found the knife was an Oh, Shit moment for me.MJ: The opening scene for me – the moment I realized that Shonda was not plunging us into a world we don’t see, a world that feels close to a mystery novel. She was taking us into a world we all already know . . . that for me was the biggest Oh Shit.

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Shandle is the Chief Operations Officer for Sweatpants & Coffee. She's a traveler, bookworm, movie lover and TV junkie. She quotes Friends in her daily life and takes her coffee extra sweet, preferably in the form of a PSL.

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As someone who also can no longer drink and who deals with some stuff, I can tell you that we never want people to feel bad for making drinking references or to feel like they can't enjoy themselves around us. Offer sympathy but keep treating her as you always have. Maybe check in more. But don't grieve any harder than she is, because she'll end up carrying that, too, and she'll worry about your feelings. You sound like a good friend. Just keep being one.

Reading your post this afternoon. Did you look into my heart? My friend from college, now 30+ years ago has pulmonary hypertension and is in failing health. She’s 54 with a limited life expectancy. Yesterday, I sent a picture for cute-as-can-be mason jar shot glasses that I found in a discount store to a former coworker. We’ve kept in touch via FB and messaging. She comments the glasses are cute but she doesn’t drink anymore. Then she txts she has Lupus. The world falls from beneath me. I wondered around the store for maybe another 20 minutes. Numb. Exchanging texts with this friend. And I felt so bad about that picture. And I felt guilty for my health. And i was ashamed of my feeble replies to her. So regular sad is sometimes at the foot of my bed. Or greets me at the door after work and I find my dog has once again pooped in the house and chewed up an ink pen or shredded a book. But today I’m big sad. Last night, crawled in the covers beside me and sits just out of sight. But here. I’m ashamed of myself. With all my bills paid, manageable expenses. And now two people who have shackles of worry and fear and other feelings I couldn’t even begin to imagine. If only crawling through broken glass could convey us to the other side

My girlfriend's and I get together rarely and there's actually 2 different groups but it's always fun! They're infrequent but always special! I am the type of person that rolls with the flow and if we can arrange it, great! But it's not expected or required and that makes our get-togethers special!